1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a zoom lens optimal for an interchangeable lens for a mirror-less camera, and an imaging apparatus including the zoom lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, mirror-less cameras in which a mirror box that reflects light onto a finder is eliminated from a camera side have been available in the single-lens reflex camera filed. Such mirror-less cameras are advantageous from the viewpoint of shortening the total lens lengths because no mirror boxes are included therein such that the back focus of the interchangeable lenses can be shortened. Further, a configuration in which the tip of an interchangeable lens is slipped into the interior of the camera from a mount thereof is possible. A demand for compact lenses which utilize the advantages of such mirror-less cameras is recently increasing. In particular, a demand for zoom lenses which are likely to have long total lengths to be miniaturized is high. Further, a decrease in costs is also highly demanded.
The zoom lenses disclosed in Patent Documents 1 through 3 (Japanese Patent No. 3433734, Japanese Patent No. 4245783, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-307677) are known as three-group zoom type zoom lenses in which a negative lens group is disposed in front, which is suitable for meeting the demand for such a miniaturization and low costs.